Happy Friday! How happy are you that it's nearly the weekend? It's been a pretty busy week for me so I'm so grateful the next two days will be spent focusing solely on...me!

-Highlight of this week: Being chosen as Lucky Magazine's Cute Outfit of the Day on Tuesday! This was the second time (first time was for Wink), and I think I had heart palpitations for half an hour after I found out.Check it out here! (This also earned me the "Editor's Favorite" badge, which you can see to the right on my blog.)
-Duh moment of the week: On Wednesday I brought my camera to work so that Lauren and I could take outfit photos during our lunch break, and then I accidentally left my camera at work. This is why there was no outfit post yesterday. I was kicking myself! And that wasn't the only day I'd forgotten things - I swear my memory is just getting worse all the time. Maybe it's time to start popping the gingko-biloba?
-On Tuesday, Lauren and I went to a Popsugar Fitness event in Soho, which included a 30-minute workout by Anna Kaiser of AKT In Motion. It was the most intense 30 minutes of my life, I swear. Granted, I'm not in tip-top shape by any means since I've mostly only been doing low-impact exercise like ballroom dancing and yoga, but still. My entire body was sore for 2 days after.

This weekend:
-I'm excited it's finally decently warm on a weekend, and I'm hoping it'll be warm enough to hang out on the rooftop!
-I really do intend on spring cleaning my closet - I didn't get around to it last weekend since I was just so tired from all my activities on Saturday. Plus, I just joined Poshmark to make it easy to sell off the things I don't wear anymore (or haven't worn at all), so it's even more of an incentive to just do it! Have you used Poshmark? Or Threadflip? I'd love to hear about your experience if you have, or if you have another recommendation!
-My last ballroom class is tomorrow, sadly! But I really do intend to keep up with it, at least for the social dancing.

One of the things I've been doing lately is being more mindful of how and where I'm spending my money. One thing that can really ad...

One of the things I've been doing lately is being more mindful of how and where I'm spending my money. One thing that can really add up is eating lunch out every day, especially in NYC. So I was looking for tasty, easy, quick recipes for lunch to bring to work every day, and this recipe is perfect! (It still counts as a recipe even though it's just a sandwich, right?)

The original recipe is to make and serve all 4 sandwiches at once, however I just made the cream cheese and left the leftovers in a small glass bowl, covered it with saran wrap/glad wrap/cling film (whatever you call it) and put it in the fridge.

Ingredients:

4 oz 1/3-less fat Neufchatel cheese (or low fat cream cheese)

1/4 cup chopped fresh dill

2 tsps dried chives or 1 heaping tbsp chopped fresh chives

1/2 tsp sea salt

8 slices of bread (pumpernickel in the original recipe, but I used rye)

12 thin slices of smoked salmon

Mix the cream cheese, dill, chives, and salt together in a medium bowl until smooth. Spread 1 tbsp on each slice of bread. Lay 3 slices of lox on a slice of bread, cover with another to make a sandwich. Cut in half and serve (or stick one in a sandwich bag and take it to work)!

Overall the recipe was super easy - the hardest part was mixing the cheese, dill and chives until it was smooth, but once done, that was it! (Did you know how fresh and delicious dill smells just on its own? I'd never chopped dill before so it was pleasantly surprising! In fact, Lauren said they should make a perfume out of the scent of dill when I offered her a smell. She's pretty funny.) As a bonus, every morning after making the cream cheese it only took 5 minutes to assemble another sandwich. Done and done.

Although I haven't mentioned anything about the awful shootings/bombings that have been happening, I can only say that my heart goes out to those who've been hurt and their families. I feel like my words don't mean a whole lot in these situations, but the victims and their families are in my prayers.

On a much happier note, it finally feels like spring in the city! The temps are warming up and although today isn't sunny, it's warm enough to wear a skirt (my leather one!) and go bare-legged (yes I totally put self-tanner on last night in preparation. I don't want to be blinding anyone!).

This weekend I am:

-going to a Keaton Row happy hour social for the Top 25 - can't wait! I love talking to other KR stylists and comparing our experiences. It's been a really fun experience, and if you haven't tried it, click here to get styled by me (for free), or sign up to be a stylist yourself!

-doing a wardrobe edit first thing - I love getting into people's closets and helping them make the most of what they've got!

-going to ballroom class in the afternoon - I think we're focusing on the tango tomorrow, which I'm super excited about - last week we did the waltz and while that was fun, that isn't as dramatic as the tango. Woo!

-attending my first ballroom dancing social - it should be a good time, as there's a lesson at the beginning, social dancing in the middle, and then performances at the end. I may just get my fill of dancing in one day, although that's unlikely. (I decided after ballroom class on Wednesday night that I should just be a professional ballroom dancer full time. Never mind that I'm way too old to be starting out now. Or I thought I should be a z-list celebrity just so I can be on Dancing With the Stars.)

-hopefully, finally, spring cleaning my own closet! I never seem to have the time to do it and I've been wanting to for about three months now. Fingers crossed!

For something a little different, today I'm featured on Elle's blog, Wonderfelle World ! Her blog combines a love of travel &am...

For something a little different, today I'm featured on Elle's blog, Wonderfelle World! Her blog combines a love of travel & style (two of my favorite topics!) and she is always posting about fabulous destinations, and of course - what to pack for them!

Thanks Elle for featuring me, and make sure to check out the full feature here!

I love dips. Especially dips with cheese. Lauren and I used to be obsessed with the spinach artichoke dip at California Pizza Kitchen, whic...

I love dips. Especially dips with cheese. Lauren and I used to be obsessed with the spinach artichoke dip at California Pizza Kitchen, which was the only place we knew of to get it in Hong Kong at the time. Luckily, I've found a recipe that's easy, and easy on the waistline!

1 large baguette, cut on the diagonal into 1/2-inch thick slices and toasted

Adjust one oven rack to the upper-middle position and keep one rack at the middle position. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Coat an 8" baking dish with cooking spray.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion is sticky and golden brown, about 3 minutes, stirring often. Add the artichoke hearts and a few cups of the spinach, turning the mixture over until the spinach leaves wilt. Add the remaining spinach and continue to cook until all the leaves are wilted, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

Stir the cream cheese, mayonnaise* and 1/4 cup of the Parmesan together in a large bowl until creamy. Add the cooled spinach mixture and stir to combine. Scrape the mixture into the baking dish and sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan. Bake until the Parmesan is golden brown, about 30 minutes.

Serve with the toasted baguette slices** and a clear conscience!

Serves 12.

*Confession: I actually totally forgot to buy mayonnaise for this recipe, and ended up just stirring in some unsweetened almond milk to get the right creamy texture. I'm pretty sure that cut the calories even further, and it still tasted great!

**Or tortilla chips

Overall this recipe was super easy. The only major prep was remembering to take the cream cheese out so it wasn't rock hard, and chopping up the artichoke hearts, spinach, and onion. I'm definitely going to be pulling out this recipe next Superbowl!

I am in such a daze, I just credited my sunglasses to "Bryant Park". I never use emoticons in blog posts, but I think that deserves one: -_- My schedule's been crazy what with working, volunteer training twice a week, ballroom twice a week, styling (got a flood of clients after Keaton Row was written about on Forbes.com!) and trying to see friends in between! So forgive me for posting less than normal, but I'm trying to get a hold of my time!

These photos were taken last week on the most beautiful day of the year so far - it was sunny and HOT, and of course I had to have lunch in Bryant Park! It was the perfect weather to break out my favorite new skirt, acquired on my midnight shopping trip with Jackie the weekend prior! It's just perfect for spring, isn't it? I love the watercolor-like effect of the flowers, and the bright colors! Now I just need more warm days to go bare-legged. (I blatantly refuse to wear tights anymore. I just can't.)

Last weekend Jackie & I met up to catch up over dinner near Times Square, and at first we were bummed because we met too late to catch any good light for photos - until we walked through Times Square close to 11pm and realized it's practically daylight 24/7 at Times Square - perfect for pictures!

It was still pretty cold last weekend so I grabbed the fur to keep me warm, and it was just what I needed! You may know by now that I really love neutrals and versatile pieces, and this is another perfect example of a whole outfit comprised of neutrals, but with some fun accessories to jazz it up a bit. Thanks Jackie for taking the pics!

I love mac and cheese. Since this is the second mac & cheese recipe I've shared on the blog and the third mac & cheese recipe I...

I love mac and cheese. Since this is the second mac & cheese recipe I've shared on the blog and the third mac & cheese recipe I've ever tried, can you tell? This is another healthy version, and I think it's my favorite out of the three I've tried since it's actually cheesy, without all the fat and calories in standard mac & cheese. Mmm. Looking at the picture below is making me want some now!

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and the macaroni and cook until al dente, following the package instructions. Drain and set aside.

Whisk the almond milk with the cream cheese, flour, and garlic powder in a large saucepan (it'll be a little lumpy at first, but the cream cheese will melt into the sauce as it warms up). Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to low and cook until the sauce is the consistency of a creamy Alfredo sauce, about 20 minutes. Turn off the heat.

Adjust an oven rack to the upper-middle position and heat the broiler to high. Stir the macaroni, 2 tablespoons of the basil, 2 tablespoons of the cheese, and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt into the sauce. Divide the mixture amoung four 8-ounce ramekins (or use an 8-inch square baking dish) and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons Parmesan over the tops. Broil until the tops are bubbling and browned, 4 to 6 minutes (check the broiler often as heat intensity varies - I checked every 2 minutes). Sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon basil and serve.

*I didn't use any basil since I didn't have any left, but at another time I sprinkled chili flakes on top so it was just a little bit spicy. Yum!

Overall, the recipe was really easy. The hardest part is probably just getting all the lumps out of the cheese sauce, but it really does just melt into the sauce after a while. Make it, you won't regret it!

I break these pants out in the spring every year since I've had them - they're such a fun, cheery color, perfect for sunny days that still aren't actually warm yet. I'm also a little obsessed with these booties - they're the perfect neutral color, and I love the gold accent at the back, plus the heel height is perfect - enough to add a little height to my 5'4 frame, but still comfortable enough to run around in them all day. The color and the cut of them make them the perfect transition shoes. (Can you tell I'm a little obsessed?)

In other news - it's finally warm here in NYC! At least for the day that is...is spring finally upon us?

-Took my first ballroom dancing class in years. It was a basic class and I was afraid it might be too beginner's level for me, but we learned swing and foxtrot, both of which I'd never learned before (although swing is a derivative of jive, which I'm familiar with), and it was so much fun. I'd forgotten how much I enjoy partner dancing! I had an Amazon Local deal that was going to expire if I didn't use it this month, so I'm glad I finally used it, and am looking forward to my twice a week classes. (Surprisingly, we were almost even for the number of men vs number of women, so that was nice!)

-Started my adult literacy volunteer training. Finally! It was our introductory class but we watched an NBC documentary called "A Loss for Words", and you could truly see these adults struggling to learn to read and write. It was inspiring, and really gave me an idea of what I'm getting myself into. I'm more determined than ever to do my part to help eradicate adult illiteracy, and to break the cycle of illiteracy. For more info or how you can help, click here.

-Attended my first Keaton Row social! It was great to finally meet the co-founders and the other people who help with our styling businesses every day. It was also great to be able to discuss how I'm doing (apparently I'm doing better than I thought I was!) and to just hear other people's experiences. I can't wait to keep styling! To sign up to be a stylist or to get styled by me, click here.

This leather skirt is my latest acquisition - and I love it. It's a piece that's versatile enough to wear for day or night, and will never go out of style. I sense my cost-per-wear making this very, very worth it! (And thank you to Ray for working so hard to track one down in my size!)

I was never forced to eat brussels sprouts as a kid, so I don't have any horror stories regarding them, but I do remember reading about...

I was never forced to eat brussels sprouts as a kid, so I don't have any horror stories regarding them, but I do remember reading about them in books (anyone remember Baby-Sitter's Little Sister? I'm pretty sure Karen hated brussels sprouts), and had no idea what they were.

Anyway, since I've been on a healthy-eating kick, I wanted to try this recipe for a side dish - it's got dijon (love!), dried apricot (interesting!), and almonds (crunchy!). If you know me you know I like my food to have a lot of different textures. It just makes eating so much more interesting. Ok, enough about me - on to the brussels sprouts!

Vinaigrette:

2 tbsps Dijon mustard

2 tbsps extra-virgin olive oil

2 tbsps apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp honey

1/2 tsp sea salt

Brussels Sprouts:

1lb Brussels sprouts, julienned

1/2 cup slivered almonds

1/2 cup julienned dried apricots

To make the vinaigrette:

Whisk together all the ingredients. (Easy!)

To make the brussels sprouts:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

2. In a large bowl, combine the brussels sprouts, almonds, and apricots.

3. Pour the vinaigrette over the brussels sprouts and toss well to combine.

4. Spread the mixture evenly on the baking sheet. Roast for approximately 55 minutes, or until the leaves of the sprouts are tender and golden brown. *This is where I messed up - and by "messed up", I mean I didn't check on them at all while they were in the oven. I burned the first batch I made, sadly! And after all that julienne-ing. I was devastated. Luckily, the second time around (a week or two later), I pulled them out after 20 minutes and they were well cooked. The lesson here is to check on them!!

Overall, it was a relatively easy recipe to make. Julienne-ing the Brussels sprouts was the most tiring and took the longest, but once that was done it was fine. I'm not sure if I did it correctly, but I just cut each sprout in half, then chopped them face down from the outside in. I figured it would be fine since the leaves tend to fall off anyway, and I was right. I don't think technique here would necessarily affect the recipe!

Also - if you like a heavier vinegar flavor, I'd recommend adding more apple cider vinegar. The apricots were so sweet that I could barely taste the vinegar or Dijon. Next time I make this I'm going to try adding more in!

Just for fun, Lauren and I thought we'd do a bunch of jumping shots. My hair looks so funny in the second shot, but I thought these were all fun and captured the spirit of what we were trying to accomplish! I was in a pastels kind of mood this weekend since it was Easter, hence all the light colors. Hope you had a good Easter!